Locals test ocean for radiation in Santa Cruz

Tyler Fox collects ocean water samples at Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz.

KSBW

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Tyler Fox collects ocean water samples at Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz.

KSBW

A 2011 earthquake in Japan destroyed the Fukushima nuclear power plant, spilled radiation into Japan's ocean, sent tsunami waves across the Pacific Ocean, and waves damaged the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor.

Santa Cruz residents are currently helping scientists test water and sand samples to determine what, if any, types of radiation exist along California's seashore.

Surfer Tyler Fox and several other volunteers collected ocean water samples at Pleasure Point on Sunday by paddling out on surfboards with water jugs. The samples will be sent to a lab at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, in Massachusetts, to be analyzed.

State public health officials said their tests in January 2014 found no evidence of elevated ocean radiation levels along northern and central California.

"Even if there is nothing, even if it comes up that the water is totally safe; that would be great, that's what we want to hear. But I think people have the right to know," Fox said.

Scientists at Woods Hole have been studying how the ocean interacts with other parts of the planet, including human society, for nearly a century.

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